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The Daily Tar Heel

Comedian to Perform in Raleigh

The host of "Insomniac," Dave Attell, will perform three times this week at a comedy club in Raleigh.

After his numerous stand-up shows, he can be found roaming the streets of cities as exotic as Miami or as simple as Boise, Idaho, filming his hit show "Insomniac" until the break of dawn.

Attell will be bringing his adult brand of humor to Raleigh's Charlie Goodnight's Comedy Club for three consecutive performances, running tonight through March 2. He said during his time in the area, he will spend some time visiting the sites and drinking at the bars -- two things that have garnered him much recognition.

Attell's late-night, reality-based travel show, Comedy Central's "Insomniac," captures the essence of night life. Along with his crew, Attell tours the towns he performs in, visiting bars, strip clubs and even workplaces.

"We try and give normal people a chance to get on TV -- they're not all beautiful people," Attell said. "I'm not really a good host, I'm more like a tour guide."

But as much as Attell enjoys hitting the bars and night clubs, he said his favorite part of the job is meeting people who are up all night working.

"My job is pretty cool, drinking and hanging out," Attell said. "But the people that are doing these tough jobs while we are sleeping or partying really deserve some credit."

"Insomniac" finished filming for the season last week, and the finale will air in five weeks. Attell said that since its beginning, the show has grown more than he envisioned and has given him some wild experiences.

"A lot of the stuff that we catch during the night we don't even show -- people passed out drunk, fights, college kids just hammered -- we aren't trying to embarrass anybody," Attell said. "I don't want to sound corny, but the best part is that I think we are showing real America. These are real people doing what they do for fun, and showing that has been really different from a lot of the stuff on TV -- if anybody ends up looking dumb, it's me."

Though Attell won't be filming an episode of "Insomniac" on this trip to North Carolina, he said the show might return to film at a later date.

"The thing that I have noticed about (the Triangle) is that the people are really educated and get everything that I am talking about," Attell said. "I would love to film there; it would be really cool and interesting."

Despite his affection for the area, Attell warns fans that have only seen him on "Insomniac" that he won't be pulling any punches. "I am a dirty comedian; it is adult humor." he said. "I am not a puppet act; I am not Jeff Foxworthy. I will talk about sex, drinking -- whatever I feel like. This is not a show for your grandma. Don't bring her, she will be disappointed."

Tickets for Attell's witty and unexpected stand-up shows at Charlie Goodnight's can be purchased online at http://www.charliegoodnights.com or by phone at 828-LAFF.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.

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